


Quarantine Woes

by Lilac_Panda



Category: Murder Most Unladylike Series - Robin Stevens
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, COVID-19, F/M, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, My First Work in This Fandom
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-19
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:07:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,140
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28178847
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lilac_Panda/pseuds/Lilac_Panda
Summary: Agent Lucy Livedon had no desire to spend what was supposed to be her week off locked up with her co-workers preparing to secure people she wouldn't trust to look after her cactus as they decided the future of her country. Still maybe the inclusion of the boss she may or may not have spent the last two years crushing on, and the two troublemakers he has in tow could make it slightly more bearable?
Relationships: Felix Mountfitchet/Lucy Mountfitchet
Comments: 2
Kudos: 7





	1. In Which Lucy Does Not Sleep

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've read a Felix and Lucy AU recently and thought I would have a stab myself. I know absolutely nothing about how MI6, personal security or the government quarantine protocol for meetings so quite a lot of this is guess work, I apologise for any inaccuracies. Also I'm British so I use the English spellings. I don't really know what I'm doing so here goes nothing.

COVID-19 sucks was all Lucy could think miserably as she hauled her suitcase up the steps, even MI6 was not free from the threat of the pandemic and so unfortunately not immune from its restrictions. Socially distanced protection duty, that was an oxymoron right there. Or possibly juxtaposition, her brain wasn’t functioning well enough to care. As a result, all agents were required to test for the disease before each and every mission and then live in a bubble with each other. That’s right, because she just didn’t see enough of her co-workers in her extensive working day, she now had to live with them in a run-down hotel for two weeks. The kicker was she wasn’t even supposed to be here, fresh back from dealing with a drug smuggling ring in France she was supposed to be taking a well-deserved week off. But of course, Owen Barrett had tested positive and been sent home to isolate which meant the powers that be had needed to produce an Agent not in the middle of a crucial case with two hours’ notice. Her leave was promptly cancelled in favour of providing security for the Brexit, which she still argued sounded like a cereal, talks. She hadn’t even had time to run herself a bath after debriefing before getting a phone call ordering her to pack a bag and report for a rush test that confirmed her germ free.

You really would think the government that spent £900,000 redecorating a plane could afford to set up it’s agents in a decent building or at least one with a working lift. Unfortunately, it did not, and Lucy was dragging her suitcase down the slightly grimy hallway and nearly tripping on a piece of loose carpet as she headed for room 21.

“Lucy!” Called a far to cheerful voice as she was opening her door, the other woman simply groaned in acknowledgement as she plodded into the room and collapsed onto the bed. “I thought you were still in France, you’re Barrett’s replacement, right? The freckled woman asked as she followed her in and shut the door.

“No, I chose to be here.” Lucy moaned in reply twisting onto her back to look at her companion.

“Oh touchy,” Came the teasing reply.

“Sorry Bridget, I got back literally four hours ago three of which were spent in debrief, I have slept for six hours in the last sixty and I’m honestly not sure how I got through security when I think I still smell vaguely of Cocaine. This was my first week off in eight months Bri, eight months! I wanted a week that wasn’t spent glued infront of my laptop attending those stupid online meetings while my WiFi keeps cutting out; dealing with the piles of paperwork using up all my printer ink and threatened to completely consume my office; or chasing after the idiots who have all collectively decided to take advantage of the chaos to have a go at pushing through whatever ridiculous scheme they’ve dreamed up this time.”

“Okay that sucks,” Bridget agreed readily, “but look on the bright side. The idiots, sorry diplomats don’t touch base till next Thursday, think of it like getting an extra week of doing nothing.”

“Trapped in an enclosed space with half of the agency is not how I wanted to spend my time, I love you, but I am sick of the sight of everyone who works with us.” Lucy groaned straight back.

“I feel you L, but it won’t be that bad, go grab a hot shower, change clothes and try for a few hours’ sleep you’ll feel so much better.”

It was no bubble bath but the agent did still feel sticky with all sorts of grime and on close inspection did still have blood under her nails, thankfully not hers. On the other hand, passing out face down and fully clothed on the bed and simply hibernating her quarantine away was feeling worryingly tempting. Just as she was attempting to convince herself that she definitely needed to at least change into her pyjamas there were three business-like raps at the door that she barely refrained from telling to go do something incredibly rude and likely anatomically impossible to whatever was going to keep her up even longer. Begrudgingly she hauled herself up out of bed and attempted to look even half alert as Bridget moved to open the door.

“Good afternoon ladies, Agent Livedon thank you for stepping in at such short notice.” A smooth deep voice rang into the room and Lucy suddenly wished she hadn’t opted for comfort and travelled in her old jeans and an oversized Wonder Women jumper. It took a moment for her brain to restart and for her to realise she was supposed to respond,

“Oh, it was no problem at all Sir,” She offered a smile that probably made her look like a bit of a lunatic.

“Good, I wanted to tell you we’re meeting downstairs in half an hour to quickly go over instructions.”

“Right, we’ll be there.” Lucy agreed nodding before understanding it was an instruction not an invitation, tugging on a loose thread on her cuff. It would probably help if the owner of the voice wasn’t so perfectly turned out himself. Although they were allowed to dress casually while quarantining the man looked the same as ever, in a perfectly pressed suit with his gorgeous blond hair immaculately groomed and while her face masks had caused the return of spots like she hadn’t had since she was a teenager, his skin still remained pristine except for a light dusting of stubble across his angular jawline. Awkward silence hung in the air for a moment as the two agents just stared at each other before Bridget decided to take pity on her friend.

“Thank you Sir, we’ll be sure to be downstairs in plenty of time.”

“Right yes, very good I’ll see you there.” The man replied before turning and walking down the hall.

“Well, I think I’ve found someone you’re not quite sick of just yet.” Bridget teased as Lucy fell back down onto the bed groaning, she had told he other woman about her two year-long and still going strong crush on her boss nearly six months ago when they had wound up drinking too much wine alone and feeling sorry for themselves watching Love Actually on Valentine’s Day. The crush itself was hardly unusual, it wasn’t a secret that half the office wanted to sleep with the man, but Lucy had never thought she’d be the once to lose her head over someone she couldn’t have. He was her boss for God’s sake and way out of her league even forgetting that. To her mother’s eternal disappointment, she had never shown much interest in boys or dating even as a kid but there was just something about Felix Mountfitchet that made her feel like the love-sick teenager she never really was.

“Go jump in the shower L,” Bridget suggested snapping her out of her thoughts. “I’ll put some coffee on for you.”

“Extra-strong?"

“Would I ever make you anything different?"

“You know me far too well.” Lucy called over her shoulder as she headed for the bathroom.


	2. In Which Grown Adults Are Told How To Behave In Public

After a quick cold shower and two cups of Bridget’s strong enough to send a lesser mortal to the hospital coffee Lucy was feeling slightly more like a functional human being as she slipped into something more professional. 

“Five-minute warning L,” Bridget called through the door just as she was applying her last coat of lipstick.

“Coming,” she replied grabbing a bag and stuffing all essentials inside as she made her way to the door. With one last glance in the mirror to check she looked less like she was running solely on caffeine and willpower she headed out to meet her friend. 

“One benefit of isolating,” Bridget announced in lieu of greeting, “no more facemasks. I don’t even want to know how much makeup I’ve lost to those things.”

“Uhm,” The other woman agreed thoughtlessly as they made there way down the stairs. “Do you know who else is here?”

“Other than M we have R and J supervising, and I saw Lara and Eric on my way in and I think Alice is here too. Other than that, not sure.” 

Okay that wasn’t so bad, the only other sound was footsteps echoing through the corridor until they reached the ground floor and were met with R otherwise known as James Roberts.

“Good afternoon agents we are meeting just down the corridor just go and take your seats.”

“Thank you, Sir.” Lucy replied as both women moved off towards the door he was indicating. Inside the room looked familiar despite her never having set foot in it before. A large round table with one-too-many uncomfortable looking chairs around it making everyone squash together and marked with a number of coffee mug rings, yep, she felt right at home. Counting ten people around the table not including her and Bridget she slipped into one of the few remaining empty chairs giving a smile to the blonde next to her before reaching out to snag a chocolate donut from the plate in the middle. 

“Lucy it feels like I haven’t seen you in forever, you look amazing.” Called an all to familiar voice causing the woman to grimace before turning to face a brunette sitting further round the table staring pointedly at her breasts.

“Talbot, good afternoon.” 

“Lucy I’ve told you to call me Noah. Isn’t this going to be nice, all of us under one roof living so closely, plenty of time to get to know each other properly.” The man leered at her before another voice cut in,

“Agent Talbot you stare much longer and you’re going to have a sexual harassment case on your hands.” M had said it jokingly, but Lucy could pick up the undercurrent of warning in his tone and so could Talbot as he scowled and moved on to trying to talk Lara Fox who was pointedly ignoring him.

“Creep,” Alice hissed into her ear causing Lucy to smile and nod in agreement. She would admit the man was a fantastic agent but also a complete and utter tool, “God I was really hopping corona would have knocked him out by now, at least then we could claim it was useful." Before the other woman could respond William Langford walked in followed by R and J otherwise known as Zariah Jabaal began to speak.

“I should not need to tell anyone in this room how to conduct themselves in public but knowing some of you as well as I do, I am going to anyway. First of all, the top two floors are out of bounds as that is where the staff who have agreed to isolate with us are staying, please be respectful of them and their space and remember that this is for our benefit not theirs. Rooms will be cleaned every day by housekeeping so if you have any confidential documents be sure to lock them in the safe. Meals are six-hundred hours to ten-hundred hours, and that means finished by ten not just arriving; eleven hundred to fourteen-hundred hours for lunch and seventeen-hundred hours to twenty-two hundred hours for dinner. The bar is open from seventeen hundred hours to two hundred hours, do remember that you are in a working environment, not a nightclub. And along those lines remember that while there is no dress code you will be seen by your co-workers and I doubt they have any desire to see you shirtless.” That comment seemed to be aimed directly at Lucas Clark who was still infamous for the time he had gotten smashed at the office Christmas party and stripped down to his underwear before climbing on top of the table doing the Macarena and had the good sense to look embarrassed. “Be respectful to everyone else in the building and keep the noise levels down, especially after ten. Oh, and snacks can be bought in the dinning room at any time. Do try not to destroy the hotel as we would like to be allowed to come back at some point. And just in case it wasn’t already obvious no one is to leave this building for anything short of a life-threatening emergency, no exceptions. As I’m sure you have already noticed the lift is out of order, no it will not be fixed while we are staying, we are just going to have to deal with that and do restrain from pushing each other down the empty shaft. Overall, just use your varying levels of common sense and we should be just fine.” The woman delivered the entire speech with a deadpan expression and Lucy had the strangest feeling of being back at school being lectured by her headteacher. 

“Right so as you should all know we are here to help provide security for the final stages of the crucial Brexit talks.” M continued getting to his feet, “The building has its own security and of course the police will be present so Agents King, Ogden and Murphy you will be working with R to co-ordinate with these agencies to ensure that the building itself is secure. Everyone else will be assigned an individual to take personal responsibility for. As the guest list is currently about as temperamental as one for a teenage girl’s birthday party,” This got a round of laughter, “We haven’t assigned specifics yet, but you will know in plenty of time. Thank you again for working in such difficult circumstances, we are aware that this is inconvenient for all of us. If nobody has any questions, we’ll let you get on with your days.” With that he sat back down again and began to talk quietly with R and J as separate conversations sprang up around the room and people started getting up to leave.

“We should do a girl’s night one day,” Lara suggested as she and Bridget walked up to join them.

“What paint each-others nails and do make-overs?” Alice asked laughing slightly, “I just got a very realistic mental image of the four of us in a braid train.” That got a laugh out of all of them.

“No, drink copious amounts of wine and watch the movies I brought; it feels like ages since any of us have spent any time together in anything even resembling not work. And it’s not like we can go out for drinks.”

“True.” Lucy agreed and the other two nodded their approval before Bridget asked,

“Do you want to go explore, see if we can find the dining room it’s nearly dinner anyway.”

“No thanks, I’m going to go get some sleep.” Lucy replied before getting up out of her seat, “Have fun.” 

“Okay, we’ll see you tomorrow.” Alice replied and the brunette made her way out of the room and up the stairs.


	3. In Which There Are Detectives Behind The Curtain

Lucy had almost made it up to the top of the stairs when she heard two slightly muffled childlike giggles echoing through the corridor and paused. Looking around cautiously it took her a second to realise the noise was coming from behind the curtains which if she looked carefully enough had two rather suspicious looking lumps in the fabric. For a moment she considered ignoring it and moving on, probably one of the hotel staff had children, but her curiosity won out and she slowly and silently approached the window staying close to the wall. When she was finally within grabbing distance of the curtain she waited for a few beats before grabbing it and quickly wrenching it back causing a squeal from one of the two little girls who were curled up on the windowsill. 

Both looked like they couldn’t be more than nine or ten, staring at her with wide slightly guilty eyes. One she would guess was Chinese with long dark hair pulled back in a single braid cradling a notebook to her chest. The other was white with long blonde curls and piercing blue eyes that reminded her instantly of M. Before she had time to think on it any further the girl seemed to get over her shock and demanded,

“Who are you and what are you doing here?”

Lucy had to fight back a grin at the tiny girls attempt to take control of the situation, “I’m Agent Lucy Livedon and I think I’m the one who’s supposed to be asking you what you’re doing here.”

The little girl narrowed her eyes while her friend looked at her slightly terrified, “I am Detective Wells, and this is my associate Detective Wong and my Uncle told us to wait here. Oh, do cheer up Hazel she’s not going to do anything to us” 

Raising one eyebrow Lucy gave them both her best disapproving look before asking, “Your uncle wanted you to wait behind the curtain?” The blonde held her gaze brazenly, but the other girl had clearly had less experience in rule breaking looked like she was nearing tears, “Its okay, I’m not going to tell on you.” And she sat down next to the girls allowing them both to relax. “So, what’s so funny?”

“Don’t say a word Hazel, we don’t have to tell you anything Agent Livedon we’re part of an official investigation. You should forget you ever saw us.”

“The man in that room there farted really loudly when he was opening the door and thought no one heard him.” 

“Hazel!” But the little girl was giggling again as she tried to admonish her friend and Hazel herself almost fell of the windowsill laughing. 

Lucy herself grinned at the little girls’ antics, they really were too cute before asking “So I have detective Hazel and detective?

“Daisy.” The girl admitted. “We’re just waiting for something to investigate.” 

“The terrible twosome living up to their name already I see. Daisy you promised me if Hazel came along, you’d be good as gold.” All three of them jumped as the tall figure of M strode over from the top of the staircase. “I’m sorry if they’re bothering you Agent Livedon.”

“Not at all Sir, in fact I think I may have been interfering in some very important business.” Lucy replied doing her very best not to stare while simultaneously trying to remember how to form complete sentences.

“Please while we’re off duty call me Felix, two weeks of everyone calling me Sir twenty-four seven and I won’t get my head back out the door again.”

“Only if you call me Lucy,” She replied laughing slightly, “All the Agent Livedoning is making me feel like I should be finding a pile paperwork to get through.” Lucy cringed as she said it, but M laughed,

“I know the feeling. It’s weird isn’t it, still technically at work while we’re not really working. I really am sorry about your week off by the way, I know you’re long overdue one.”

“It really is fine Si… Felix, it’s not like I had plans.” Getting more of a thrill than a grown woman should from using a man’s name, dear lord she really really needed to get out more she was getting pathetic. 

“Yeah, I can’t wait until everything’s back to normal, my living room has needed redecorating for the past five years and I have finally actually started to do it purely because I can’t bare to stare at it any longer.” He admitted slightly ruefully.

“Absolutely I’m starting to cave towards the idea of getting my kitchen done just because I’m sick of the sight of it. I miss being able to go to the pub, actually I miss being able to go out anywhere. I would murder to be able to spend an hour sat in a Costa.” The woman admitted before the Daisy who she had honestly forgotten was there chimed in with,

“We miss going out for McDonalds and going to the Library.” 

“So do I, my book bill is now officially higher than my electric trying to keep these two supplied with reading material.” The man complained but he was grinning as he reached over to ruffle the girl’s hair as they squealed and tried to duck his hands. Oh, that was just not fair, this man had to be hiding bodies in his basement, he was intelligent, funny, good looking and good with kids, no man is that perfect. “Speaking of I seem to remember buying books that you definitely are supposed to be in your room reading.”

“We already guessed who did it and we got bored and wanted to see everyone.” Daisy argued back. 

“We’re sorry Uncle Felix.” Hazel added on.

“That’s more like it, girls I need to know exactly where you are and what you are doing, do you understand me? You’re not really supposed to be here, and you promised me you were going to do exactly as you were told.” He lectured them gently

“Sorry Uncle Felix,” they chanted back hanging their heads looking suitably chastised.

“So I see you’ve already met Lucy Livedon, Lucy this is the Terrible Two, my niece Daisy Wells and her best friend Hazel Wong. I had a bit of a childcare crisis this morning” He admitted looking a little bit embarrassed. 

“Cause Jie-Jie’s having a baby.” Hazel offered.

“The girls were meant to be staying with Hazel’s father, but his wife went into premature labour yesterday.” Felix explained “They’ve sent their other girls to stay with their Grandfather and no one else could take Daisy at such short notice. But there was no way I was bringing Daisy without Hazel around to keep her busy, and if the two are trouble together you don’t want to know what Daisy is like on her own, Hazel has all the sense.” 

“That’s not true!” Daisy shrieked indignantly while Hazel ducked her head blushing, but Felix just chuckled shaking his head at the girls and Lucy felt her insides melt a little bit more.

“Oh, I think it might be,” She added joining in on the teasing. “Is Jie-Jie doing okay Hazel?” 

“Yeah, she’s fine and now I have a little brother called Teddy, he’s okay but he’s still a bit little so they have to stay at the hospital, and we can’t see him for a bit. But I don’t mind cause it means we get to come to work with Uncle Felix.”

“Bertie’s so jealous.” Daisy added bouncing a little bit as a grin split her face.

“Bertie’s my nephew, he’s at his friend Harold Mukherjee’s house.” The man explained, “And I thought this was boring.” 

“It is, but Bertie goes to Harry’s house all the time and we’re never ever allowed to come to work with you.” Daisy stated as though it should have been obvious. 

“And you’ll never ever be allowed again if you don’t run along to your room and stay there. Next time you leave without telling me I’m locking you in the cupboard until it’s time to go.” Felix threatened wagging his finger wildly.

“We’ll behave we promise,” Both girls chanted off quickly, “Bye Lucy,” and took of running down the corridor into their room.

“No they won’t.” Felix sighed dramatically and both of them burst out laughing. There was a beat of silence and Lucy was suddenly very aware that they were alone together. “So uhm, will I see you at dinner?”

“Probably not I’m going to try and catch up on some sleep.” The brunette answered without thinking then scrabbled round for something interesting to say, whishing desperately that she had done anything outside of work in the last six months while starting to feel the caffeine leaving her system, maybe she'd have.

“Well, I won’t keep you, have a nice night Agent… Lucy.” Felix said stuffing his hands in his pockets and smiling awkwardly. 

“You to Felix,” Came the quick rely and both dithered for a second neither wanting to be the first one to move away before they split and headed for their own doors.  
Lucy spilled into her room closed the door and squashed down the urge to squeal, she had just had a full conversation with Felix Mountfitchet, one not revolving around a mission and he had asked her to call him Felix. This was definitely going to be dissected later. But now she had stopped talking she could definitely feel a crash coming and so she got ready for bed and finally gratefully collapsed into the sheets. Passing out before she had even finished thinking that it probably said something about her life that she was a nearly thirty-year-old woman getting giddy over a ten-minute conversation before going to bed at half four in the afternoon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas everybody


End file.
